Missing reporter found unharmed, taken to Houston hospital for evaluation

The missing persons case first gained national attention on social media.

Author:
KHOU.com Staff

Published:
9:46 AM CST January 8, 2018

Updated:
5:41 PM CST January 8, 2018

HOUSTON -- Courtney Roland, the 29-year-old sports reporter who went missing over the weekend, has been found unharmed, according to Houston police.

An officer located Roland after a tip was phoned in, Houston police say.

"After seeing Ms. Roland's case in the news this morning, a passerby called us about 8:15 a.m., stating Ms. Roland was under an overpass at the 610 West Loop at Richmond. Our officers arrived, confirmed it was her and arranged she be checked at an area hospital," the Houston Police Department tweeted.

Police said at an afternoon news conference, that Roland's disappearance may have been caused by a reaction to medication. Police think Roland, for most of the time, was confused and looking for her phone - which they found dead in her abandoned car.

Multiple sources earlier told KHOU 11 News Roland was first spotted at a nearby Chick-fil-A restaurant on Post Oak, south of the Galleria where her SUV was found overnight.

A customer at the restaurant recognized Roland from the news reports and called 911.

29-year-old Courtney Roland, who is an online sports reporter who covers the Aggies, hasn't been heard from since the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2018. She sent her friend text messages saying a man was following her as she arrived home.

02/06

29-year-old Courtney Roland, who is an online sports reporter who covers the Aggies, hasn't been heard from since the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2018. She sent her friend text messages saying a man was following her as she arrived home.

03/06

29-year-old Courtney Roland, who is an online sports reporter who covers the Aggies, hasn't been heard from since the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2018. She sent her friend text messages saying a man was following her as she arrived home.

04/06

29-year-old Courtney Roland, who is an online sports reporter who covers the Aggies, hasn't been heard from since the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2018. She sent her friend text messages saying a man was following her as she arrived home.

05/06

29-year-old Courtney Roland, who is an online sports reporter who covers the Aggies, hasn't been heard from since the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2018. She sent her friend text messages saying a man was following her as she arrived home.

06/06

29-year-old Courtney Roland, who is an online sports reporter who covers the Aggies, hasn't been heard from since the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2018. She sent her friend text messages saying a man was following her as she arrived home.

Roland, an online journalist who covers the Texas A&M Aggies and college recruiting, was last heard from Saturday around 4 p.m. According to family members, she was driving home to the Heights area when she texted a friend to say someone was following her.

She told her roommate a suspicious man at a Walgreens was following her. The man was in a blue truck following her all the way home, but then he allegedly drove off when she got out. Police say they have no way of verifying whether Roland was actually being followed, and say they do not believe any foul play was involved.

Later in the day, however, Roland never showed for a meetup with her roommate, according to family.

Police say the woman's phone was found inside her Jeep, which was parked outside a shopping center. Her purse with an iPad, computer and credit cards were also all found intact somewhere inside the Galleria, family members told KHOU 11.

A timeline of the incident, according to police:

Roland was last heard from, through texts to her family, at 1 a.m. Sunday. Her phone went dead shortly after.

She was seen in the Galleria and nearby parking lots around 2 p.m. Sunday.

Roland's roommate reported her missing at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Her purse was found at a Starbucks inside the Galleria at 11 p.m. Sunday.

She was reportedly seen at a Walgreens in the Heights between 11 p.m. and midnight.

Police found her car at 12:30 a.m. Monday at the Galleria.

Roland was found at 8:15 a.m. Monday at a Chick-fil-A near the Galleria.